The South Eastern Trust was honoured to host a visit from the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, Registrar, Dr Jan Dudley, to the Paediatric and Neonatal Units at the Ulster Hospital.
During the visit, Dr Dudley toured the Children’s Outpatients Unit, Short Stay Paediatric Assessment Unit, Inpatient Wards, Day Procedure Unit and the Neonatal Unit, meeting with clinical teams and learning more about the services provided to children and young people across the South Eastern Trust area.
Welcoming Dr Dudley to the Unit were Assistant Director of Acute Paediatrics and Clinical Support Services, Kieran Quinn, Associate Clinical Director for Paediatrics and Consultant Paediatrician, Dr Karen Courtenay and Consultant Paediatrician, Dr Naomi Kirk. Dr Dudley was joined by colleagues from the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health during the visit.
The aim of the visit was to gain first-hand insight into Paediatric Services in Northern Ireland, to understand the challenges facing frontline teams and to explore how the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health can further support Paediatricians in delivering high-quality care to children and families.
Speaking during the visit, Dr Dudley said, “It is fantastic to be here in Belfast to see what Paediatricians across the United Kingdom are doing for their communities and populations. We will be talking throughout the day about what we at the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health can do to help Paediatricians achieve those aims.
“It is really important to get first-hand experience of what is happening at ground level and to understand the challenges which we know exist across the whole of the United Kingdom. While those challenges may present in different ways, coming together to see what we can do to address them is incredibly important.”
Kieran Quinn added, “It is great to have the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health here today to visit our facilities, speak with our clinical teams and see some of the excellent work they do for our children and young people. Children make up 25 per cent of the population and it is vital that they have strong representation and advocacy. Our Teams are passionate advocates for Service Users under the age of 16 and are committed to delivering the highest standards of care.”
Thanking the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health for attending, Dr Karen Courtenay stated, “It has been an absolute pleasure to host colleagues from the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health. The visit has given us the opportunity to highlight both the excellent work taking place here at the Ulster Hospital and the challenges we face in Northern Ireland. We look forward to continued engagement with the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health as we advocate for the wellbeing of children and young people in our community.”